Suspension Smith - Ph: 0407 903 652 The best Motorcycle Suspension specialist on the eastern sea board (and we reckon all of Oz)

Flat tires and who around CBR is best for repairing/diagnosing?

Discussion in 'Tech Help' started by Chadwiko, Aug 13, 2015.

  1. Chadwiko
    Offline

    Chadwiko Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2013
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    15
    Real Name:
    Chad
    Bikes:
    Yamaha XVS 250
    Hey riders,

    Got back from a few weeks overseas and my Kawasaki VN900 Custom has a front flat tire in my carport.

    Since I've never had this happen in my 3~ years of riding, I wanted to ask;

    A) Why would this have happened? Does it mean I likely have a puncture/leak?
    B) How do I repair/address this, as obviously I can't ride it to the servo to pump it up
    C) Who should I contact in CBR to come fix it at my house, and how much $$$ am I possibly looking at?

    Cheers in advance folks
     
    #1
  2. Paris Hilton
    Offline

    Paris Hilton Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,192
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Chantilly, France
    Real Name:
    Matt
    Bikes:
    Thruxton
    Scrambler - Parisian urban defence
    a) yep or a leaking valve
    b) borrow a mates compressor if it's a slow leak, pump it up and go get the tyre checked out at a shop
    c) see b
     
    #2
  3. Richo
    Offline

    Richo QBN's Next Top Model Veteran Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2009
    Messages:
    7,609
    Likes Received:
    547
    Location:
    Gilligans Island AKA QBN
    Real Name:
    Richo
    Bikes:
    WhiteBird

    Sold - Suzuki M109R L.E. Ducati Diavel Cromo
    Location?
     
    #3
  4. supamodel
    Offline

    supamodel Secret Aaaaaagent Man Staff Member Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2007
    Messages:
    15,762
    Likes Received:
    2,190
    Location:
    Perth
    Bikes:
    Ducati MS2R1000; Yamaha RD250LC; Honda CT110, C90 Supercub; Suzuki GSXR750M, GT250L, TS250x, DRZ400E
    A) It could be a leak. Some tyres leak more than others. Depends how hard you want to look. Valve stems are a good place for slowish leaks, in my experience - bit of soapy water around the valve core (after you've taken the cap off, that is :)), or around the base of the valve stem. Also rotate the tyre and look for any suspicious tears or stuff in the tyre.
    That said, as tyres wear and age they start to leak more and more. 3 weeks is not the fastest I've had 'slow' leaks go fully flat in.
    Was it absolutely fully inflated when you left? Let's say it normally is at 35 psi, and it had already leaked down to 25ish psi over a couple of weeks previously. Not gonna take too long for it to lose a further 25 psi if it's already lost 10.
    B) Pump it up and see how long it holds pressure for. Bicycle pumps are perfectly sufficient for pumping up motorbike tyres, just takes you a little bit of time.
    C) Depends where you are, but basically any motorbike place can look at it. Much easier if it needs rectifying if you've already diagnosed what is the cause of the leak though. Much, much easier. And they're going to do no more testing than you do - reality is they have no more huge tools to their disposal save for taking the front wheel off and dunking it in some soapy water to see if it's got a tiny leak from somewhere.
     
    #4
    lucifer_mr2 likes this.
  5. Chadwiko
    Offline

    Chadwiko Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2013
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    15
    Real Name:
    Chad
    Bikes:
    Yamaha XVS 250
    Chapman (Weston Creek)
     
    #5
  6. Chadwiko
    Offline

    Chadwiko Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2013
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    15
    Real Name:
    Chad
    Bikes:
    Yamaha XVS 250
    Tire is less than 18 months old~; new tires were put on in about April 2014.

    To be honest I hadn't ridden it due to weather for about 2 to 3 weeks before going overseas, so I can't say with confidence how quickly/slowly it deflated.
     
    #6
  7. supamodel
    Offline

    supamodel Secret Aaaaaagent Man Staff Member Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2007
    Messages:
    15,762
    Likes Received:
    2,190
    Location:
    Perth
    Bikes:
    Ducati MS2R1000; Yamaha RD250LC; Honda CT110, C90 Supercub; Suzuki GSXR750M, GT250L, TS250x, DRZ400E
    So I chucked new tyres on my ute at the middle of 2013, one was dead flat when I got back from Helsinki after 5 weeks away. Nothing wrong with the tyre, just I hadn't checked it for about 6 weeks so it dropped from 32 psi to 10 in 6 weeks :).
     
    #7
  8. Paris Hilton
    Offline

    Paris Hilton Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,192
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Chantilly, France
    Real Name:
    Matt
    Bikes:
    Thruxton
    Scrambler - Parisian urban defence
    Hrmm.

    Tyres on one of my cars are still holding air, it has been sitting since 2009
     
    #8
  9. supamodel
    Offline

    supamodel Secret Aaaaaagent Man Staff Member Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2007
    Messages:
    15,762
    Likes Received:
    2,190
    Location:
    Perth
    Bikes:
    Ducati MS2R1000; Yamaha RD250LC; Honda CT110, C90 Supercub; Suzuki GSXR750M, GT250L, TS250x, DRZ400E
    Exactly. It can hold air excellently for 20 years, or it can go flat in about 6 weeks. Anything along that spectrum is expected behaviour. So, ya pump up said flat tyre, and see how fast it goes flat. If it does it in a couple of hours, ok, further investigation is warranted. If it copes a week or two, yeah, might just be a tyre that leaks more air than others.

    Diffusion of oxygen out of tyres, and/or reaction of oxygen with rubber and metals within tyres and wheels, are one of the key arguments people stuck to with nitrogen in tyres. I don't necessarily believe that it has a sufficient benefit, but that's one of the arguments proponents use :).
     
    #9
  10. DonT
    Offline

    DonT Member Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2011
    Messages:
    4,601
    Likes Received:
    172
    Location:
    near Gunning
    Real Name:
    Don Thomas
    Bikes:
    '85 Alazzurra 650 & '86 Elefant 650, '80 A100, '72 DT2 & '75 DT175 '95 DT200R IT175
    As a partial aside, I'd reckon its well worth having some sort of pump at home. The old floor pump, that you hold against the floor with one foot and pump with your arms, a mechanical foot pump or a 12vmini compressor type thing - or as said a bike pump.
     
    #10
  11. Ron50
    Offline

    Ron50 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2012
    Messages:
    765
    Likes Received:
    427
    If it's a tubeless tyre don't forget to check the bead where the tyre seals against the rim. Run water around each side while the wheel's horizontal or find a tub big enough to dunk the wheel in far enough to cover the rim while the wheel is turned slowly. And some alloy wheels can be porous enough to need sealing on the inside. Light hammering on the inside with a ball peen hammer fixed a porous wheel I had - tip from a tyre fitter.
     
    #11
    Richo likes this.